


Ghostly romances

by Moonage_Daydream10



Category: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Genre: Asexual, Bisexual, Dancing, Demiboy, F/M, Fluff, Gay, Gay Male Character, Ghosts, LGBTQ, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Nonbinary, Nonbinary Character, Pansexual, SO FLUFFY, Slow Dancing, TW-mentions of homophobia, TW-mentions of transphobia, The Captain is Autistic (Ghosts TV 2019), The Captain is Gay (Ghosts TV 2019), Trans Male Character, Transgender, biromantic, demimale, demisexual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:00:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28817457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonage_Daydream10/pseuds/Moonage_Daydream10
Summary: This is the first proper fanfic I've written, I hope you like it :)
Relationships: Alison/Mike (Ghosts TV 2019), Fanny Button & Captain & Humphrey's Body & Humphrey's Head & Julian & Kitty & Mary & Pat & Thomas, Julian Fawcett & Thomas Thorne, Julian Fawcett/Thomas Thorne, Pat Butcher & The Captain (Ghosts TV 2019), Pat Butcher/The Captain (Ghosts TV 2019)
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first proper fanfic I've written, I hope you like it :)

The grandfather clock strikes 12. Button house is silent, apart from the creaking of the Captain’s old bones as he patrols the house. He knows he doesn’t need to patrol every night anymore, but he likes routine and it’s nice to have some time away from the other ghosts, they can get a bit much sometimes.  
He slows his pace as he passes his old room. Memories of the war and lost friends come flooding back to him. Walking inside, his head fills with feelings of shame, regret and sadness. He wishes he could wrap himself up tightly in blanket. But as he’s unable to do this, he sits on the floor and curls up in a ball, bringing his knees up to his chin, and rocks back and forwards, lost in his thoughts and flashbacks.  
Half an hour later, Pat walks past the doorway and sees the Captain inside, by which point he’s crying quietly and still rocking. Pat hates to see his friend upset, so he goes inside to check on him.  
“You alright mate?” Pat asks, sitting on the bed.  
“Ah, Patrick. Not really. I was just thinking about my death.” The Captain says, looking up and tapping his leg with stick.  
“Do you want to tell me about it? You don’t have to, of course, but sometimes it helps to let your feelings out instead of keeping them bottled up inside.”  
The Captain feels he can trust pat with anything, so he tells him about his death, something that he's never told anyone.  
“The year was 1946, I put my old army uniform on ready to go to the memorial ceremony. I was quite excited to go because it would have been the first time I got to see my lieutenant since he left me to fight in North Africa. At the memorial I looked everywhere for Havers, but a familiar name caught my eye on the plaque, Havers was dead. That night, as I was going to bed, I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I figured I was having a heart attack, so I lay on my bed to die. Tonight I realised I died of a broken heart, and that I was in love with Havers.” He says as tears fill his eyes. He sits on the bed next to Pat, wanting some human contact, but not knowing how to ask.  
Pat wraps his arms tightly around the Captain as he sobs into his shoulder. Reaching up and gently wiping away the captain's tears, Pat whispers in his ear, “It’s okay, I’m here now. I’ll never leave you.”  
After calming down, the Captain asks, “You don’t you think it’s wrong that I loved a man?”  
“No, of course not.” says Pat “It’s a lot more accepted now than it was in your day. Now you can love and marry whoever you want. When I was alive, I went to some pride parades with my sister, who is lesbian, and I am bisexual.”  
“Pride?”  
“Yes, it’s something to be proud of, you don’t to be ashamed anymore.”  
The captain is overjoyed to discover how accepting society is now, but he feels a pang of sadness, wishing it were like that when he was alive.  
"Thank you." says the captain quietly.  
"What for?"  
"Accepting me... and comforting me. I am grateful to you for listening to my story, a story that I've never told another soul."  
Pat gently touches the captain's arm and whispers "And thank you for trusting me with this. I’m so proud of you, Cap, it must have been really difficult for you to tell me this. I'm always here for you, if you ever want to talk, or a hug."  
They embrace again. Pat rests his head on the captain's chest and the Captain breathes a sigh of relief. Pat lifts his head and kisses the Captain on the cheek, cautiously waiting for his reaction. The Captain shyly smiles at Pat, letting him know that he's okay with it. Pat then kisses the Cap's lips softly, and the Cap kisses back.  
It was the Captain's first kiss, and he wasn't sure he was doing it right, but that didn't really matter.  
"I did love Havers, but I was never intimate with him like this, or with anyone else, I would have been caught and arrested."  
"Aw Cap come here." He holds the Captain, their foreheads touching, running his fingers through the Cap's hair. "you don't need to hide who you are anymore. Love is a beautiful thing, and it’s never wrong. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise or they’ll have me to answer to. Don't ever think you need to change yourself. You're perfect just as you are.”  
“Thank you so much Pat. I think you’re perfect too. Maybe it’s time we got some sleep?” The Captain says.  
Pat stands up and walks over to the door. “Okay, good night cap. You can always talk to me about anything, anytime.”  
“Patrick…Pat would you mind staying with me tonight?”  
“Of course, I wouldn’t mind Cap, I was actually going to ask you the same thing.”  
The two men lay on the bed next to each other. Pat rolls onto his side and snuggles into the Captain, tucking his head under his companion’s chin. The Captain plants a soft kiss onto Pat’s head. Pat strokes the Captain’s cheek gently.  
Pat quietly says “I have something to tell you, Cap.”  
He feels the Captain’s body tense around him and sees a worried look in his eyes.  
“No, no Cap, it’s a good thing. Don’t look so scared. It’s just that for a while now, I’ve been having feelings for you, and I’ve thought about kissing you for quite some time and now that we have finally kissed it was more than I ever hoped it would be. It was heaven.”  
The Captain pulls him closer, their bodies pressed together, and says “I think I’ve had feelings for you too, I just didn’t realise or know how to express them. I’m so glad you found me tonight, I don’t know what I would have done without you. You’re the kindest soul in this house, Pat. I… I love you.”  
“I love you too, Cap. I’m happy we found each other too.”  
“And I want to tell you something, Pat. My name.” He whispers in Pat’s ear.  
“It’s beautiful.” Pat says, repeating it to himself.  
Pat holds the Captain’s hand, entwining their fingers. The Captain nuzzles into Pat’s hair and they both fall asleep, cuddling each other and smiling.


	2. Chapter 2

Pat wakes up at dawn, looking up to see the Captain’s face covered in a golden light.  
“So beautiful.” Pat whispers to himself, feeling very content that he is finally with the man he loves.  
They are still holding hands, Pat notices with a grin. He feels the Captain stirring against his side. He opens his eyes slowly, still filled with sleep.  
“Good morning, my love.” Pat says.  
“Can we just stay like this forever?” He murmurs into Pat’s hair.  
“Well, it’s film club this morning, but I’ll get Alison to reschedule it for this afternoon.”  
“I’ll come with you.” Says the Captain, not wanting to be without Pat.  
They walk into Alison and Mike’s bedroom, fingers still laced together. Alison is still asleep, so Pat quietly says “Alison”. She soon wakes up and is surprised to see Pat and the Captain standing over her.  
“We were wondering if film club could be postponed to this afternoon today, as we’re going to be busy this morning.” The Captain says.  
“Yes, that’s fine.”  
Alison looks down to see them holding hands and says, “Are you two together?”  
They both nod, smiling.  
“I’m so happy for you!” She says. “I was hoping there would be a ghost romance. If you ever need me to keep the others out of your way or set up a date for you, I’d be happy to.”  
“That would be great, Alison. And thank you for being so accepting.” The Captain replies  
“Of course, Mike and I are both bisexual, and we would never not accept someone from our own community. You’re always welcome here.”  
The Captain tries not to show how much Alison’s words mean to him, swallowing the lump in his throat.  
“Maybe one day we could have a ghosts pride parade. I could buy pride flags for those of you who are a part of the community and hang them around the house and it would be a good opportunity to teach some of the more close-minded ghosts how times have changed and that they should too.”  
“That’s brilliant idea! I look forward to it.” Pat says.  
The two men spend the rest of the morning wrapped up in each other, exchanging kisses.


	3. Chapter 3

It’s Thomas’s turn to choose the film this week, and he chooses Wilde, the biopic of the famous poet, Oscar Wilde. Thomas had accumulated quite the crush on Oscar, and had read all of his works, sometimes with help from Julian getting The Picture Of Dorian Gray off the bookshelf for him, which he very much enjoyed. As soon as Alison realised the ghosts were real, Thomas asked her if she would buy the few poems he had not yet read. Some years after Thomas’s death, he first discovered Wilde when he came to Button House to do a poem reading. Thomas was in complete awe of him, not once taking his eyes off the man. He was devastated when he saw in the newspaper a few years later that Wilde had been arrested for sodomy. No one should be arrested for who they love, he thought. When the news came of Oscars death, he cried himself to sleep.  
A few minutes into the film, a young Oscar Wilde appears on the screen, and Thomas can hardly contain himself.  
“Isn’t he just the epitome of beauty?” Thomas breathes, not thinking anyone would hear him.  
The other ghosts look at him, but no one really reacts, putting it down to his usual melodrama.  
However, Julian ventures to say “Didn’t know you liked men. I’m not judging, I agree with you, he is a very pretty man, and I had my fair share of men back in my Cambridge days. I may also like women, but I am certainly not straight.”  
“I do,” Thomas replies, “both men and women have taken my fancy over the years, Oscar Wilde being one of them. When I was alive, I oft came to stay here, at Higham House, as it was then known. For the duration of one of my stays, I became enamoured with the gardener, my Alexander, my first and true love, and we indulged in a secret romance. He was also an aspiring poet and we would read our poetry to each another and kiss by the lake at sunset. He would pick me flowers and sometimes pressed them into clandestine love letters that he penned and gave to me under the cover of night. It was such an incredible time.”  
Pat perks up then, saying “We all support you Thomas, it must have felt good to finally tell us about your past.”  
All the other ghosts agree, saying they support him too.  
After seeing this positive reaction, Pat decides to come out to them too. “I also like men…and women.”  
The Captain looks to Pat for reassurance, who beams at him and holds his hand. This gives the Captain all the courage he needs.  
“I…I am homosexual, which I have now learnt is something I no longer need to be ashamed of. And Patrick and I are in love.”  
This confession is met with lots of smiling ghosts.  
“Love! How wonderful!” Kitty gushes.  
“Love is good,” Robin grunts. “Don’t matter who you love. Matters what you feel.”  
“I’s am happys for yous.” Mary says.  
“Love is one of life’s…and death’s greatest gifts.” Thomas begins, “I am delighted you have found your true love.”  
“If you ever need any tips-”  
“That’s enough, Julian” Pat says, cutting him off before he started talking about his bedroom endeavours.  
Throughout the film, whenever Oscar kisses another man, the Captain squeezes Pat’s hand.


	4. Chapter 4

After the film had finished, the ghosts dispersed, all except Thomas and Julian. Thomas had draped himself over the sofa, glancing at Julian on the window seat.  
“I am beginning to think that fair Alison will never return my affections.” Thomas says to Julian, after watching him for a few minutes.  
“You’re only just starting to think that?”  
“Mock me all you want, but it gets awfully lonely around here and it’s nice to have someone to love you, but I now realise Alison will not love me back, perhaps it’s time to find someone else. If I am wrong in saying this, you may scorn me, but did I hear you say you are not indifferent to the company of men?”  
“Yeah, sure I like men. Why?”  
“Well, I was wondering perhaps if we could, or rather, if you would like to-”  
Julian cuts him off with a kiss, entangling his fingers in Thomas’s tight curls.  
After Julian pulls away, Thomas says, “I…um…wow.”  
“It’s not often that the eloquently spoken Thomas Thorne is lost for words.” Julian jokes.  
Once he’d regained his composure, Thomas confesses, “I have never told anyone this, except for my dear Alexander, but today appears to be the day to share our buried secrets. I oft robbed the lady of the house’s wardrobe, and sometimes her makeup too, donning her garments at night, before returning them in the morn. Wearing a frock made me feel more comfortable and free than any pair of breeches ever could. I didn’t feel like I was a lady myself though, I simply adored wearing their clothes.”  
Julian pulls Thomas close, his arms wrapped around him tightly. “I know I may act like a bit of a dick sometimes, but I still have a heart and feelings. I completely accept you just as you are.”  
“Thank you, sweet Julian. Though it would be nice if we could interact with the outside world more, that you might paint my nails or so I could change into a beautiful dress once in a while. But alas, that can never happen. At least I have you now, that should help banish my melancholia. It’s just nice to finally have some affection again after almost two centuries, and I am so very grateful to you for that.”  
“It’s only been 27 years for me, but I agree, I have missed being intimate with people too. And I’m not sure we can do anything about the nails, but maybe we could persuade Kitty to swap clothes with you one day. I’m sure she’d be fine with it.”  
“Yes, I’d love to. That sounds splendid.”  
“When I was alive, I wasn’t very romantic like you are. I hardly saw my wife and child; I missed every Christmas with them. I regret that every day.”  
“Perhaps being with me could alleviate some of that guilt. It could be a new start, a chance to change and become a better, more caring person.”  
Julian kisses Thomas again, pushing him against the wall, but because they are ghosts, they fall straight through it and onto the floor of the next room.  
“That worked out rather well.” Says Thomas from under Julian, kissing his forehead.  
After cuddling for a while on the floor, Thomas stands up, and taking Julian’s hand, leads him to his bedroom.  
“I was thinking that perhaps we could lie in bed together tonight?” Thomas asks shyly.  
“Of course. I’d love to.”  
They lie on the bed, snuggling up together, Julian running his fingers through Thomas’s hair and Thomas lightly caressing Julian’s cheek. Thomas keeps expressing his gratitude towards Julian and Julian cuts him off with kisses. The pair doze off to sleep in each other’s arms, with smiles on their faces.  
Pat and The Captain spend the night in much the same way.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, all the ghosts gather in the kitchen while Alison eats her breakfast, she had asked them to meet her. Thomas screams as the toast pops up, Julian quickly turns round, grabbing Thomas’s hands and squeezing them, he says, “It’s just the toast.”, which calms Thomas down.  
“I asked you to meet me because I have something special planned for this evening.”  
“Ooh exciting! What is it?” Kitty says.  
“It’s a ghosts pride parade. I thought it would be a good idea as some of you are part of the LGBT+ community, and for those of you who aren’t, it’s a good learning opportunity. I left some paper with the different identities and flags in the common room so you can identify yourself if you want to, and I can get some flags for it.”  
“Thank you, Alison, it sounds amazing.” Says the Captain.  
All the ghosts rush to the common room, Thomas carrying Humphrey’s head. They crowd around the table, looking at the paper there. Alison walks in, having finished her breakfast.  
“What be asexual?” Mary asks Alison.  
“It’s when someone doesn’t feel sexual attraction towards people.”   
“Me thinks I be’s that.” Mary says, smiling.  
“There’s also demisexual which is when you only experience sexual attraction after a strong emotional bond has formed.”  
“I believe that describes me, Alison. I am also biromantic. I have never felt completely male either, is there a term for that?” Thomas asks.  
“You could be demimale, which is under the non-binary umbrella. Maybe you could use he/they pronouns instead of he/him and see how that feels?”  
“Yes, I’d like that very much, Alison. Thank you.”  
“Think I am pansexual.” says Robin.  
“Me too.” Julian replies.  
“I is not binary too, like Thomas. But I am they/them. In my time, was no genders, we all just people.” Robin says.  
“I be they thems as wells.” Mary says.  
“That’s great. We’ll start using they/them pronouns for you two then.” Says Alison.  
“I’m bisexual,” Pat says, “and I’m also transgender, I always knew I was male since I was little. But when I was 16, I told my parents, and they didn’t accept me. They kept telling me ‘you’ll always be my daughter’, and they kicked me out of the house. I was homeless for a few weeks, until someone from a local youth hostel found me on the street and took me back with them. That was where I met Carol, she was in there because she had a big argument with her family and didn’t want to live with them anymore. Carol was the first person to accept me, she always called me Pat and used the correct pronouns for me, it made me so happy. When we had enough money, we bought a small flat together. When I became a scout leader a few years later, I always taught the boys about the LGBTQ+ community, even though it wasn’t on the curriculum, and I was a safe person to come out to for them. I wanted to create a really accepting environment for them.”  
“I’m so sorry you had to go through all that, Pat. We all completely accept you.” Alison says.  
“Yes, of course. It really is awful, your family rejecting you like that. But we are your family now, a family of friends. And we will always support you” Says Thomas.  
“Thank you, Thomas. That means a lot to me.” Pat says.  
“Ooh I think I’m bisexual too, Alison.” Kitty says, excited.  
“And I am gay.” The Captain says, happy he can finally say it without fear of being judged.  
“I’m gay as well.” Humphrey mumbles from within Thomas’s arms.   
“Well, I’m heterosexual, but I still accept you all, especially after my talk with Humphrey last week at the wedding. I’ve realised how much times have changed since I was alive.” Says Fanny.  
“I’m glad I was able to change your mindset, Fanny.” Humphrey says.  
“It’s really amazing to see you all supporting each other. I’ll get the pride flags to represent each of you for tonight.”  
After all the ghosts have gone, Julian brings Thomas to one side.   
“This could be a great opportunity to wear Kitty’s dress, couldn’t it? So you can get all dressed up for the pride tonight.”  
“Yes, good idea. Shall we endeavour to find her then?”  
They look all around the house for Kitty, before they eventually find her in the garden, playing hide and seek with Mary.   
“I…have a question for you, Kitty.” Thomas says.  
“Ooh what is it?” Kitty asks excitedly.  
“I…um…oh it is far too much to ask of dear Kitty is it not?” Thomas looks to Julian for help.  
“There’s no harm in asking. Thomas was wondering if he could maybe borrow your dress for the pride tonight, they used to wear dresses sometimes when they were alive and they miss it, and you could wear his clothes.”  
“Of course you can, Thomas! We’ve been stuck in the same clothes for centuries; it’d be a nice change. I actually saw you in a dress a few times you came to stay here, you looked amazing in them.”  
“I thank you, Kitty, this means a lot to me. I am very grateful for you doing this for me, and I will be forever in your debt.”  
They swap clothes behind the bushes and Thomas walks out wearing Kitty’s dress.  
“Thomas…you look so beautiful.” Julian whispers.  
“Thank you, sweet Julian. I feel very comfortable and content now.”  
As Kitty walks out in Thomas’s clothes, she sees Thomas and says “Wow Thomas! You’re so pretty. Your clothes are very comfortable, we should do this more often.”  
“I’d love to, Kitty, thank you.”  
Thomas goes over to Julian and says, “You used he/they pronouns for me earlier.”  
“Of course, you said you wanted try them. One of my best friends at Cambridge was transgender, and I always tried to use her correct pronouns and name.”  
“Thank you for doing that for me, those pronouns feel perfect for me, it fills me with such happiness to be referred to by he/they, but it’s a specific kind of joy that I can’t recall ever feeling before.”  
“That’s called gender euphoria. It can happen for many reasons, including when someone uses the correct pronouns for you, or dressing a certain way.”  
“I feel so happy that you accept me as I am.”  
“Well, I could hardly not accept my boyfriend, could I?”  
“You’re boyfriends? Like Pat and the Captain? I’m so happy for you!” Says Kitty and walks off to find Mary.  
“Boyfriend?” Thomas asks, in shock.  
“Yeah, we kiss and cuddle and like each other a lot, I’d say that describes boyfriends.”  
“I haven’t had a boyfriend in two centuries. Oh, I do so wish we were alive, we could reside together in a cosy cottage in the forest. That was always mine and Alexander’s dream, but we were too frightened of being executed that we never did. I’m just so happy to finally be with someone again, and I can now truly be myself without the constant fear of death.”  
Julian wraps his arms around Thomas, holding him tightly, saying everything he needed to say, without speaking a word.


	6. Chapter 6

As night falls, Alison admires her day’s handiwork, the common room strung with fairy-lights and the walls adorned with a variety of pride flags.  
The Captain is the first to enter the room, along with Pat, as their arms are linked. Their mouths agape, they look around at the newly decorated room. Pat notices the Captain’s expression, he looks as if he’s about to cry, and says, “You alright, Cap?”  
“I’m a bit overwhelmed to be honest, Pat. So much has happened today, I told everyone that I’m homosexual, something I only found out for myself recently. I’m so happy at the same time though, I’m with you, and I can be with you without being scared of the judgement of others.”  
Pat rubs the Captain’s back, reassuring him. “I’m really happy we’re together too, it’s really nice to have someone to love again.”  
The Captain walks over to Alison and says to her, “Thank you so much for doing all this for us, it really means a lot. If there’s music though, could it possibly be a bit quieter than at that party of yours a few weeks ago? It’s just that I’m sensitive to loud noise, it makes me anxious.”  
“Of course, Cap. Is that why you asked us to turn the music off at that party?”  
He nods, saying, “I had to go outside to get away from all the people and noise. It all got too much for me.”  
“Oh I’m really sorry we didn’t listen you. I was quite drunk. That must have been horrible for you, we’ll make sure to keep our parties quieter in future.” Alison says.  
“Thank you, Alison.” The Captain says as Kitty runs down the corridor screeching “I’M SO EXCITED!”, causing him to flinch.  
“I’m sorry about that, I’ll try to get her to be quieter, though that might be difficult.” Alison says to the Captain.  
The other ghosts file into the room after Kitty; Thomas and Julian with their arms around each other’s shoulders. The other ghosts stare at Thomas, almost in awe of him.  
“Why do you gawp at me so?” Thomas asks, forgetting he is wearing Kitty’s dress.  
“We didn’t know you liked to wear dresses. You look really pretty by the way. And Kitty, Thomas’s clothes suit you too.” Pat says.  
“Thank you. I had actually forgotten I was wearing this, it makes me feel so very comfortable.” Says Thomas.  
Some of the ghosts walk over to the walls, looking for their flags.  
“I have three!” Thomas says, pointing to the demimale, demisexual, and biromantic flags.  
“Ooh there’s mine!” Kitty says excitedly.  
“So I was thinking we could maybe start off by talking about our past relationships and crushes?” Says Alison.  
“I wish to go first please, Alison.” Thomas says.  
“Okay, Thomas, you go.”  
“Well, I have already told you about Alexander, so I thought this time, I would speak of another subject of my infatuation, a fictional one. For my 23rd birthday, a close friend gifted me a novel titled Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, it was a first edition, beautifully bound. I read the entire book that day, completely enraptured by it. I was enchanted by Mr Darcy straight away. I even used to style my hair and clothes to look like him.”  
“I’ve read Pride and Prejudice too, and I had a crush on Mr Darcy, and Elizabeth as well. There’s also some films of it you might like.” Alison says.  
“Next time it is my turn for film club, I shall choose the Pride and Prejudice film then.”  
“Who wants to speak next?”  
“I’ll go.” Julian says. “My parents were very homophobic, and I was always taught that being with a boy is wrong. But in secondary school I fell in love with my best friend, and he told me he liked me too, so we started dating in secret. One day, we were kissing in my bedroom while my parents were out shopping, but they came home early and caught us. They screamed at us and hit me. They made me move schools and I was never allowed to see him again. So when I finally escaped that hellhole of a house and went to Cambridge, I could finally be with whoever I wanted to, it was very liberating. I never saw my parents again after I started at Cambridge.”  
Thomas wraps his arms tightly around Julian and says, “I am so sorry, my sweet Julian, you did not deserve any of that.”  
“Ooh are you two together as well?” Alison asks.  
“Yeah, we are.” Says Julian.  
“Two ghost romances! That’s exciting, I’m really happy for you guys.” Alison says.  
“Can I go next?” Humphrey asks.  
“Of course.”  
Pat puts Humphrey’s head on his body, which is sitting on the sofa.  
“I only discovered I was gay after I became a ghost. There was a ghost from the renaissance era, called Christopher, who has since passed on about a hundred years ago. He was the first and only person I really loved. When I was with him, I felt for him a love that I had never felt for my wife or any other woman. We were together for about 300 years.”  
“That sounds really lovely Humphrey.” Alison says.  
“It was, I do miss him though. I hope someone else comes along one day, but I’m happy I have the memories of that time.”  
“Does anyone else want to go?”  
“I do’s” Mary says. “A year aft my husband dies, I were togethers with me neighbour, Beatrice. I lives with her for a whiles. Twas nice.”  
“That sounds delightful, Mary.” Thomas says.  
“I had a boyfriend at school, a few years before I met Carol. But gay relationships were still illegal then, so we had to be very careful. He was called Fred, it was the first relationship I’d ever had, and it was really good. He came to my house and we pretended to be doing homework together, but we were actually just mostly kissing.” Pat says.  
“Maybe we’re not so different after all, Pat” Julian says.  
“I think I was in love with my childhood best friend. I didn’t realise until today, but I always saw her in a different way to other people.” Says Kitty.  
“That’s great, Kitty. I hope you find someone soon.” Says Alison, “If everyone who wants to speak has spoken, do you guys want to dance?”  
“I’d love to.” Thomas says.  
The other ghosts murmur in agreement.  
“As you’re all from different eras, you all like different music. So I’ve chosen a song for each of you.”  
“That’s lovely, Alison, thank you.” Says the Captain.  
“Thomas, you’re first. For you I chose a song called Bonaparte in a knapsack. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, but I thought it sounded good for dancing, and it’s from your time.”  
“Oh, how I love that tune! It was oft played at country dances, in this very house.”  
Alison presses play and Thomas leads Julian into the dance. Bowing to him, he takes Julian’s hands and twirls him around. Julian replicates this, spinning Thomas around, but he trips slightly, catching Thomas in his arms. Everyone else joins in with the dancing, some copying Thomas, and some doing their own thing. By the end of the song, everyone is holding hands in a circle and moving to the jolly music.  
“That was wonderful! I haven’t had a dance like that in two hundred years.” Thomas remarks.  
“You’re not half bad at dancing either.” Says Julian.  
“I went to many a ball in my time, but I always had to dance with women…and wear breeches. Actually, I did once attend a masquerade ball, to which I donned a dress and wig, as we were all in masks no one could recognise me. It very freeing and allowed me to be myself. Tonight made me feel the same way, but it was better because I didn’t have to hide my face. I thank you for organising this for us, dear Alison.”  
“You’re welcome. Robin is next, and since I couldn’t choose a song from your era, I thought you liked fast paced music, so I chose Basket Case by Green Day for you.”  
Robin enjoys the song, jumping up and down to it with Mary, while Thomas prances around the room. When Robin hears the line ‘I am one of those melodramatic fools’, he points at Thomas and laughs, and to his surprise, Thomas laughs with him.  
“For Fanny, I’ve chosen Dream Memories Waltz from 1893 by Theo Bonheur.” Alison says.  
“Would you care for a dance?” Fanny asks Humphrey.  
“Of course.” He replies, leading her into the waltz.  
As the song finishes Fanny says “That’s the most fun I’ve had since I died. Thank you for the dance, Humphrey.”  
For Mary, Alison chose La Bourrée, a popular 17th century tune, which she liked very much. For Humphrey, La Volta was played, which he danced with Fanny again. Black Magic by Little Mix was chosen for Kitty, as Alison thought Kitty would prefer a modern song than something from her era. Kitty loved the song, dancing to it with Mary, both with smiles on their faces.  
“Now it’s Julian’s turn, I’ve chosen got my mind set on you by George Harrison. I hope you like it.”  
“I love that song. It was played at some parties I went to in the late 80s and early 90s.” Julian replies.  
Alison starts the song, and Julian takes Thomas’s hands, dancing energetically to the upbeat song, he spins Thomas around, correctly this time, and plants a kiss on his head.  
“For Pat, I’ve chosen I want to hold your hand by the Beatles.”  
“The Beatles are my favourite band! Thank you, Alison.”  
Pat holds Cap’s hand and pulls him close, swinging him around to the music.  
“Relax, Cap. No one is judging us.” Pat says with a kind smile.  
The Captain loosens up then, and puts his arms around Pat’s waist, moving his shoulders with the beat. Pat wiggles his hips and takes the Captain’s hands moving their arms back and forth to the music.  
As the song finishes, Cap has a big smile on his face.  
“Now it’s your turn, Cap. I’ve chosen close to you by Frank Sinatra.”  
Alison starts the song, and Cap pulls Pat in for a slow dance, he rests his chin on Pat’s head, their bodies pressed together, arms wrapped around each other tightly, swaying with the music. Pat strokes his hands up Cap’s back and neck, standing on his tip toes, he cups his face and kisses him softly.  
Julian puts one arm around Thomas’s waist, the other hand in his hair, entangling his fingers in Thomas’s soft brown curls. Thomas looks up at Julian with deep, dark eyes and kisses him.  
The two couples danced all through the night, after everyone else has gone to bed, Alison left on a slow dancing playlist for them.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Alison walks into the Captain’s bedroom to see him lying on the bed cuddling Pat. The Captain awakes with a start to see Alison and flinches away from Pat, forgetting he doesn’t need to. Pat whispers in his ear “It’s okay.”, and the Captain relaxes.  
“I’m so sorry for interrupting. I’ve had a call from someone who says they found a letter for Anthony Wright addressed to this house. I don’t suppose either of you know who he is?”  
Pat and the Captain both looked at her in shock.  
“I…that’s my name.” the Captain says, his voice cracking. He holds Pat tighter, shaking. “Who is the letter from?”  
“They said it’s from William Havers. The man on the phone was William’s son, called Anthony.”  
“Havers’ son…is named after me” Says the Captain as tears fill his eyes. “He told me that when he went home on leave for a few weeks, his wife was pregnant, and he must have named…he named his child after me.”  
“He asked if he could visit and I said he could. He’s coming here later today. Maybe there’s a way you could talk to him, through me.”  
“Thank you, Alison. Havers…he really meant a lot to me.”  
“I’m glad I can help you reconnect with him. I’ll leave you alone now. When he arrives, I’ll let you know.”

In the afternoon, there is a knock at the door, and Alison opens it to see an elderly man.  
“My name is Anthony Havers. You said there was some way I could communicate with Anthony Wright? I read that he died after the war so I’m not sure how I’ll be able to speak to him.”  
“Come in and sit down, I’ll get you a cup of tea.”  
Alison hands him a mug of tea and asks, “Do you believe in ghosts?”  
“I’ve never really thought about it. I would say I probably do; I like to believe that there’s something after death.”  
“Anthony Wright’s ghost, among others, lives in this house, and I can speak to them after having a near-death experience.”  
“That’s incredible! It will be great to meet my father’s greatest friend.”  
The Captain enters the room with Pat, his mouth agape in shock. Pat squeezes his hand in reassurance.  
“Hi Cap, I was just about to come and get you.”  
Cap tries to say something in reply, but he can’t get any words out, so he just sits on the sofa opposite the armchair Anthony is sitting in.  
“Hello Anthony. It’s amazing to finally meet my namesake.” Anthony says, looking up at the ceiling.  
“He’s actually sitting on that sofa; ghosts don’t float they just walk around like us.”  
“I’m sorry. Thank you for explaining.”  
“H-hello. It’s really nice to meet you too. You look so much like your father.” The Captain says, which Alison says to Anthony.  
“I never really knew my dad. He died when I was just one, I’ve only seen a few photos.”  
“He was the kindest person I ever knew in my life. I went to school with him, and we joined the army together. We spent almost all our time together. I wish I’d never let him go to South Africa; I wish I’d told him to stay with me.”  
“I’m really sorry. My mum used to tell me stories about you, I always wanted to meet you. I thought you sounded so brilliant and brave. Would you like to read this letter for you from my father? I haven’t read it because it’s addressed to you.”  
Anthony opens the letter and places it in front of Cap so he can read it.  
My dearest Anthony,  
I hope that I wasn’t too cowardly and was able to give you this letter. I have been thinking about this constantly and needed to tell you. I love you. I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember, since we were at school together. I very much hope and believe that you won’t report me to the authorities because of this. I know you probably don’t feel the same way, but I had to let these feelings out. You’re the best, kindest man I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I only wish I told you this sooner, but I was so scared of how you would react, and I thought it could ruin our friendship, but I simply couldn’t wait any longer. I’ve never really loved any woman, not in the way I love you, I just got married so that no one would suspect I’m a homosexual. If you were to say you feel the same way, I’d leave that all behind to be with you in a heartbeat.  
Yours, always and forever, William Havers.  
By the time the Captain had finished reading the letter, he was sobbing into Pat’s shoulder.  
“H-he loved me. All that time.”  
“Of course, how could anyone not love you?” Pat says.  
“I wish I had realised I loved him before now, I would have liked to be with him.”  
“I’m really sorry Cap. It must be nice to know he loved you back though.”  
“It is, and I’m with you now, and I love you.”  
“I love you too, Cap.” Pat says, and gives him a kiss.  
“Thank you so much for delivering this letter to me, Anthony. It means a lot to me. Would you mind if were to keep it?”  
“No, I wouldn’t mind, it is yours after all. It was really great to speak to you, you’re definitely a lot like the stories I’ve been told about you. Growing up, you were my hero, I always wanted to be like you.”  
The Captain’s eyes fill with tears at hearing this, “It was wonderful to meet you too. Maybe you could visit again, I could tell you more about your father.”  
“That sounds amazing, I’d love to. Goodbye for now, Anthony, I’ll see you soon.”  
“Goodbye Anthony.” The Captain says, smiling. He holds Pat close, grateful that he finally has someone to hug.

That evening, Alison walks into the lounge to see Pat and Cap lying on the sofa, cuddling and playing with each other’s hair.  
“Has anyone seen Thomas? I haven’t seen them all afternoon.” Says Alison.  
“I last saw him by the lake at 1600 hours.” The Captain replies.  
Alison looks out the window to see Thomas leaning his head on Julian’s shoulder in front of the lake, silhouetted against the sunset. She smiles to herself, happy that her ghostly friends have finally found happiness within themselves and each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to @hebefrances on Instagram for the idea about Havers son


End file.
